Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called for the removal of US troops from Europe, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Polish Foreign Ministry, which defended the defensive nature of NATO’s presence.
The Russian Stance on US Military Presence
On May 28, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Russia is closely monitoring the reconfiguration of US military forces in Europe. She described the potential withdrawal of US troops as a rational and overdue step toward stabilizing the military-political situation in Western Europe.
Zakharova warned that relocating US bases from less reliable countries to Central and Eastern Europe, specifically Poland, would force Russia to implement new military-technical measures. She characterized such moves as a qualitative escalation of tensions in the European theater.
Poland Rejects Interference in Sovereign Defense
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór responded by affirming that the presence of US and NATO forces in Poland is purely defensive and a direct response to Russia’s aggressive and revisionist policies. He dismissed Moscow’s attempts to dictate troop placements as an unacceptable infringement on Poland’s sovereign right to ensure its national security.
Wewiór emphasized that the real source of regional instability is Russia’s illegal military aggression against Ukraine, noting that allied forces are essential for strengthening the Alliance’s eastern flank.
NATO Warns of Aggressive Russian Campaign
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Moscow is conducting an increasingly hostile campaign against Western societies, encompassing cyberattacks, sabotage, and disinformation. He highlighted that these actions, such as damage to undersea cables and rail infrastructure, are not isolated incidents but part of a deliberate strategy to destabilize European nations.
Current Status of US Forces in Poland
Despite recent reports regarding Pentagon plans for force rotations in Europe, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that efforts are underway to maintain and potentially transition the rotational presence of US soldiers into a permanent one. Currently, approximately 10,000 US personnel are stationed in Poland, mostly on a rotational basis.
